fix(background-agent): defer busy parent notifications

src/features/background-agent/manager.ts

@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ type ParentWakePromptContext = {
 type PendingParentWake = {
   promptContext: ParentWakePromptContext
   notifications: string[]
+  shouldReply: boolean
 }
 
 const PENDING_PARENT_WAKE_RETRY_MS = 1_000
@@ -2235,14 +2236,15 @@ The task was re-queued on a fallback model after a retryable failure.
           ...(variant !== undefined ? { variant } : {}),
           ...(resolvedTools ? { tools: resolvedTools } : {}),
         }
-        const shouldDeferReply = shouldReply && await this.isSessionActive(task.parentSessionId)
+        const shouldDeferNotification = await this.isSessionActive(task.parentSessionId)
 
-        if (shouldDeferReply) {
-          this.queuePendingParentWake(task.parentSessionId, notification, parentPromptContext)
+        if (shouldDeferNotification) {
+          this.queuePendingParentWake(task.parentSessionId, notification, parentPromptContext, shouldReply)
           log("[background-agent] Deferred notification until parent session is idle:", {
             taskId: task.id,
             allComplete,
             isTaskFailure,
+            shouldReply,
           })
         } else {
           try {
@@ -2292,15 +2294,18 @@ The task was re-queued on a fallback model after a retryable failure.
     sessionID: string,
     notification: string,
     promptContext: ParentWakePromptContext,
+    shouldReply: boolean,
   ): void {
     const pendingWake = this.pendingParentWakes.get(sessionID)
     if (pendingWake) {
       pendingWake.notifications.push(notification)
       pendingWake.promptContext = promptContext
+      pendingWake.shouldReply = pendingWake.shouldReply || shouldReply
     } else {
       this.pendingParentWakes.set(sessionID, {
         promptContext,
         notifications: [notification],
+        shouldReply,
       })
     }
     this.schedulePendingParentWakeFlush(sessionID)
@@ -2334,7 +2339,7 @@ The task was re-queued on a fallback model after a retryable failure.
       await promptAsyncInDirectory(this.client, {
         path: { id: sessionID },
         body: {
-          noReply: false,
+          noReply: !pendingWake.shouldReply,
           ...pendingWake.promptContext,
           parts: [createInternalAgentTextPart(notificationContent)],
         },

src/features/background-agent/task-completion-cleanup.test.ts

@@ -281,6 +281,76 @@ describe("BackgroundManager.notifyParentSession cleanup scheduling", () => {
       expect(promptAsyncCalls).toHaveLength(0)
     })
 
+    test("#when partial completion arrives while parent session is busy #then notification waits until idle without waking a reply", async () => {
+      // given
+      const sessionStatuses: Record<string, { type: string }> = {
+        "parent-1": { type: "busy" },
+      }
+      const { manager, promptAsyncCalls } = createManager(true, sessionStatuses)
+      managerUnderTest = manager
+      const taskA = createTask({ id: "task-a", parentSessionId: "parent-1", description: "task A", status: "completed", completedAt: new Date("2026-03-11T00:01:00.000Z") })
+      const taskB = createTask({ id: "task-b", parentSessionId: "parent-1", description: "task B", status: "running" })
+      getTasks(manager).set(taskA.id, taskA)
+      getTasks(manager).set(taskB.id, taskB)
+      getPendingByParent(manager).set(taskA.parentSessionId, new Set([taskA.id, taskB.id]))
+
+      // when
+      await notifyParentSessionForTest(manager, taskA)
+
+      // then
+      expect(promptAsyncCalls).toHaveLength(0)
+
+      // when
+      sessionStatuses["parent-1"] = { type: "idle" }
+      manager.handleEvent({ type: "session.idle", properties: { sessionID: "parent-1" } })
+      await waitForDeferredWake()
+
+      // then
+      expect(promptAsyncCalls).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(promptAsyncCalls[0]?.body.noReply).toBe(true)
+      const notificationPayload = JSON.stringify(promptAsyncCalls[0]?.body.parts)
+      expect(notificationPayload).toContain("BACKGROUND TASK COMPLETED")
+      expect(notificationPayload).not.toContain("ALL BACKGROUND TASKS COMPLETE")
+    })
+
+    test("#when partial and all-complete notifications queue while parent session is busy #then idle flushes one reply wake", async () => {
+      // given
+      const sessionStatuses: Record<string, { type: string }> = {
+        "parent-1": { type: "busy" },
+      }
+      const { manager, promptAsyncCalls } = createManager(true, sessionStatuses)
+      managerUnderTest = manager
+      const taskA = createTask({ id: "task-a", parentSessionId: "parent-1", description: "task A", status: "completed", completedAt: new Date("2026-03-11T00:01:00.000Z") })
+      const taskB = createTask({ id: "task-b", parentSessionId: "parent-1", description: "task B", status: "running" })
+      getTasks(manager).set(taskA.id, taskA)
+      getTasks(manager).set(taskB.id, taskB)
+      getPendingByParent(manager).set(taskA.parentSessionId, new Set([taskA.id, taskB.id]))
+
+      await notifyParentSessionForTest(manager, taskA)
+      taskB.status = "completed"
+      taskB.completedAt = new Date("2026-03-11T00:02:00.000Z")
+
+      // when
+      await notifyParentSessionForTest(manager, taskB)
+
+      // then
+      expect(promptAsyncCalls).toHaveLength(0)
+
+      // when
+      sessionStatuses["parent-1"] = { type: "idle" }
+      manager.handleEvent({ type: "session.idle", properties: { sessionID: "parent-1" } })
+      await waitForDeferredWake()
+
+      // then
+      expect(promptAsyncCalls).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(promptAsyncCalls[0]?.body.noReply).toBe(false)
+      const notificationPayload = JSON.stringify(promptAsyncCalls[0]?.body.parts)
+      expect(notificationPayload).toContain("BACKGROUND TASK COMPLETED")
+      expect(notificationPayload).toContain("ALL BACKGROUND TASKS COMPLETE")
+      expect(notificationPayload).toContain(taskA.id)
+      expect(notificationPayload).toContain(taskB.id)
+    })
+
     test("#when all-complete notification wakes parent #then prompt stays in the same OpenCode directory instance", async () => {
       // given
       const { manager, promptAsyncCalls } = createManager(true)